ENV’s Policy & Legislation Program
ENV’s Policy & Legislation program was established in 2007 to build support among key government decision-makers in the National Assembly, relevant ministries and with provincial leaders to help formulate policy and strengthen legislation and enforcement aimed at protecting wildlife.
These efforts have resulted in significant impacts on critical national wildlife policy and legislation such as strengthening of wildlife protection laws, advocating favorable decisions by the government on major policy issues presented by ENV, and established important precedents on key aspects of enforcement policy at the national and provincial level.
Recent Wildlife Crime Prosecutions
For cases prosecuted in 2019, the average prison sentence for wildlife crime was approximately 4.8 years, in contrast with an average of 1.2 years in 2017 prior to implementation of the new Penal Code. This change marks a substantial improvement reflective of Vietnam’s unwavering commitment to combating illegal wildlife trafficking.
Listed below are offenders and their respective prison sentences for wildlife crimes, as imposed by local People’s Courts in cases prosecuted under the new Penal Code between 2018 and 2019.
Quang Ninh – Pham Ba Kim – 13 years – Illegally possessing 145 pangolins, 7 kg pangolin scales, and 71.4 kg elephant skin
Nam Dinh – Tran Tuan Anh – 11 years, six months – Illegally transporting 10 Asian small-clawed otters
Ha Nam – Tran Van Nghi – 11 years – Illegally transporting 32 king cobras
Hanoi – Do Van Thanh – 10 years, nine months – Illegally trafficking and transporting eight Sunda pangolins and four sun bear paws
Hanoi – Melvin Van Zyl – 10 years – Illegally transporting 14.6 kg rhino horn via Noi Bai Airport
Hanoi – Nguyen Xuan The – 10 years – Illegally possessing and trafficking 181 kg ivory
Hanoi – Nguyen Van Cuong – 10 years – Illegally transporting and trafficking 14 marine turtle trophies
Hanoi – Le Chi Thuan – 10 years – Illegally possessing and trafficking 119.9 kg ivory products
Dien Bien – Cao Xuan Lai – 10 years – Illegally trafficking 27 big-headed turtles and four moon bear paws from Laos to Vietnam
Hanoi – Leu Xuan Lam – 10 years – Illegally possessing and trafficking 114 ivory pieces weighing 688.5 kg and 282.5 kg ivory products
Quang Ninh – Hoang Dinh Quan – 10 years – Illegally transporting five frozen tiger cubs, 42 kg tiger parts and products, 50 kg pangolin scales, three pig-tailed macaques, and a large number of other wildlife products
Hanoi – Nguyen Tien Duong – Eight years, six months – Illegally transporting and trafficking 14 marine turtle trophies
Quang Ninh – Nguyen Ngoc Manh – Eight years, two months, and 24 days – Illegally possessing 145 pangolins, 7 kg pangolin scales, and 71.4 kg elephant skin
Thanh Hoa – Pham Ngoc Hoa – Eight years – Illegally transporting and trafficking 24 pangolins and 46 big-headed turtles
Thanh Hoa – Nguyen Van Manh – Seven years, six months – Illegally transporting 74 pangolins
Ha Nam – Tran Thi Tuyen – Seven years, six months – Illegally transporting 32 king cobras
Quang Ninh – Hoang Van Hung – Seven years – Illegally possessing 145 pangolins, 7 kg pangolin scales, and 71.4 kg elephant skin
Ho Chi Minh – Vo Xuan Duc – Seven years – Illegally transporting 12 rhino horns weighing 7.26 kg to Tan Son Nhat Airport via Dubai
Quang Ninh – Nguyen Van Quy – Six years – Illegally possessing 145 pangolins, 7 kg pangolin scales, and 71.4 kg elephant skin
Quang Ninh – Nguyen Duc Khanh – Six years – Illegally possessing 145 pangolins, 7 kg pangolin scales, and 71.4 kg elephant skin
Hanoi – Dinh Thi Nhuong – Six years – Illegally possessing and trafficking 114 ivory pieces weighing 688.5 kg and 282.5 kg ivory products
Cao Bang – Nong Van Ky – Six years – Illegally transporting 51 kg ivory from Vietnam to China
Hanoi – Lo Van Duc – Six years – Illegally transporting five frozen tiger cubs
Ninh Binh – Nguyen Van Sau (Nguyen Van Sy) – Six years – Illegally transporting 41 Java pangolins
Hanoi – Nguyen Huu Tien – Six years – Illegally trafficking 92 kg ivory products
Nghe An – Bui Duc Hung – Five years, six months – Illegally transporting and trafficking seven Java pangolins
Cao Bang – Nong Van Thanh – Five years, six months – Illegally transporting 51 kg ivory from Vietnam to China
Hanoi – Nguyen Van Hop – Five years, six months – Illegally transporting 39 king cobras
Quang Ninh – Le Trung Kien – Five years, six months – Illegally possessing 145 pangolins, 7 kg pangolin scales, and 71.4 kg elephant skin
Kien Giang – Pham Van Tuan – Five years, three months – Illegally transporting and trafficking 12 green marine turtles
Ninh Binh – Vo Sy Ha – Five years – Illegally transporting 41 Java pangolins
Nghe An – Ho Minh Duc – Five years – Illegally transporting 7 Java pangolins
Ha Tinh – Nguyen Thi Thuy – Five years – Illegally trafficking 11 Java pangolins
Hanoi – Le Thi Phuong Hoa – Five years – Illegally transporting and trafficking five frozen tiger cubs
Kien Giang – Vo Thi Xuan – Five years – Illegally possessing 16 marine turtles
Dong Nai – Ma Van Tay – Five years – Illegally hunting, trafficking, and transporting a black-shanked douc langur, a mouse deer, a pig-tailed macaque, and a civet in Cat Tien National Park
Kien Giang – Tran Xuan Mau – Five years – Illegally trafficking 12 marine turtles
Thanh Hoa – Nguyen Ba Thin – Five years – Illegally transporting a large number of wildlife products, including ivory, leopard cat, tiger, hornbill, and other endangered species through the Cha Lo – Quang Binh border gate
Quang Ninh – Nguyen Dinh Thien – Five years – Illegally possessing 145 pangolins, 7 kg pangolin scales, and 71.4 kg elephant skin
Quang Ninh – Nguyen Van Nam – Five years – Illegally possessing 145 pangolins, 7 kg pangolin scales, and 71.4 kg elephant skin
Quang Ninh – Dinh Cong Son – Five years – Illegally possessing 145 pangolins, 7 kg pangolin scales, and 71.4 kg elephant skin
Quang Ninh – Tran Van Dan – Five years – Illegally possessing 145 pangolins, 7 kg pangolin scales and 71.4 kg elephant skin
Quang Ninh – Le Van Yeu – Five years – Illegally possessing 145 pangolins, 7 kg pangolin scales, and 71.4 kg elephant skin
Hanoi – Zhang Lin Rong (Truong Lam Vinh) – Four years – Illegally transporting 100 kg Sunda pangolin scales through the Tan Thanh border gate
Hoa Binh – Bui Van Mien – Four years – Illegally trafficking and transporting three Asian golden cats
Ha Tinh – Nguyen Duc Hop – Three years – Illegally transporting a Sunda pangolin, seven Indochinese box turtles, five keeled box turtles, four big-headed turtles, and an Asiatic softshell turtle from Laos into Vietnam through the Cau Treo border gate
Quang Binh – Phan Van Son – Three years – Illegally transporting 1,280 kg cobras, 675 kg oriental rat snakes, and 379 kg elongated tortoises
Dong Nai – Nong Van Hoan – Three years – Illegally hunting, trafficking, and transporting a black-shanked douc langur, a mouse deer, a pig-tailed macaque, and a civet
Hanoi – Le Duy Dung – Three years – Illegally possessing and trafficking 82 kg ivory products
Quang Ninh – Pham Van Hiep – Two years, six months – Illegally transporting a tiger skin and six pieces of sun bear bones from Vietnam to China via the Luc Ngam border
Hanoi – Le The Cuong – Two years – Illegally trafficking six ivory statues weighing 4.44 kg
Kien Giang – Tran Thi Cuc – Two years – Illegally possessing and trafficking parts and products of two marine turtles
Hanoi – Nguyen Van Hien – One year, six months – Illegally trafficking and transporting 9.94 kg ivory
Lang Son – Khuat Van Lieu – One year, six months – Illegally transporting a Sunda pangolin
Bac Ninh – Nguyen Gia Chinh – One year, six months – Illegally trafficking two frozen tiger cubs
Buon Ma Thuot – Nguyen Thanh Loi – One year, six months – Illegally possessing and trafficking 10.8 kg ivory products
Hanoi – Huynh Van Thang – One year, six months – Illegally trafficking six ivory statues weighing 4.44 kg
Quang Ninh – Duong Thi Mai Sinh – One year, three months – Illegally trafficking and transporting 31.8 kg pangolin scales
Hanoi – Pham Duc Hoa – One year, six months – Illegally trafficking and transporting a live tiger
Hanoi – Dam Ich Binh – One year, two months – Illegally possessing a wine jar containing a Sunda pangolin and a king cobra
Hanoi – Nguyen Duc Tinh – One year – Illegally transporting 334 grams of rhino horn
Hanoi – Pham Thi Vy – One year – Illegally trafficking a wine jar containing an Asian black bear
Quang Ninh – Kim Van Hao – One year – Illegally trafficking and transporting 31.8 kg pangolin scales
Tay Ninh – Nguyen Van Thao – One year – Illegally trafficking a Chinese pangolin, an Asian palm civet, and an Asiatic softshell turtle
Hanoi – Nguyen Van Ky – Nine months – Illegally trafficking a live tiger
Hanoi – Phan Van Dan – Nine months – Illegally trafficking a live tiger
Hanoi – Nguyen Xuan Hung – Seven months – Illegally trafficking a live tiger
Kien Giang – Huynh Thanh Long – Six months – Illegally transporting a marine turtle
Note: This list represents information recorded in ENV’s national wildlife crime database and includes only cases that were documented by ENV.
Most Recent Outstanding Achievement Awards for Wildlife Protection
On December 2nd, 2019, ENV hosted its third Outstanding Achievement Awards for Wildlife Protection to recognize the class-setting work of Vietnam’s law enforcement agencies and legal system in curtailing wildlife crime and protecting Vietnam’s precious biodiversity. Among those honoured at the event were law enforcement agencies and officers, courts, judges, prosecutors, and procuracies. The awards ceremony recognized the crucial role these agencies and individuals play, not only in applying the law, but in creating proper deterrents for would-be wildlife criminals.
The categories and winners:
Outstanding Enforcement Officer Award for professionals in law enforcement agencies that directly handled cases involving the enforcement of wildlife protection laws and regulations:
Winners (two awards): Nguyen Minh Tien – Kien Giang Environment Police and Luu Phuoc Nguyen – Quang Nam Environment Police
Outstanding Judge Award for a judge who issued verdict(s) shown to positively impact the judiciary system and strengthen the protection of wildlife:
Winner: Ngo Duc Thu – Tan Binh District Court
Outstanding Prosecutor Award for a prosecutor who has made a significant contribution to efforts to prosecute wildlife traffickers, resulting in verdict(s) that positively impact the judiciary system and strengthen the protection of wildlife:
Winner: Hua Ngoc Thong – Dien Bien Town Procuracy
Outstanding Agency Award for government agencies (including Courts, Procuracies, Police
Departments, Forest Protection Departments, Customs or Fisheries Departments) whose efforts have substantially contributed to the strengthening of wildlife protection in Vietnam:
Winners (two awards): Forest Protection Department Mobility and Forest Fire Prevention (Team 1) -Thanh Hoa FPD, and Team 2 – Ha Tinh Environment Police
The Kingpin Award is presented to an individual or group of individuals (from multiple agencies) who, through combined efforts, had the greatest impact on efforts to target, investigate, arrest, prosecute, and imprison the leadership of a criminal network, and in doing so, had the greatest impact overall on the protection of critically endangered wildlife globally:
Winner: People’s Court of Khanh Hoa Province
The seven award recipients are reflective of thousands of law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges across Vietnam working every day to protect Vietnam’s wildlife. ENV knows that the diligence and hard work these award recipients put into protecting wildlife will have tremendous positive impact on the future of Vietnam’s biodiversity and contributes to the protection of endangered species globally.